Monday, April 10, 2017

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Christian Schiller at Aldo Sohm Wine Bar in New York City

New York City

This is my list of favorite wine bars in New York City. It includes wine bars that I know and have visited and will go back to. It also includes wine bars I have not yet visited, but I have heard about them and would like to visit them.

It includes wine bars in the pure sense, where the focus is on the wine and the food is on the back burner. It also includes restaurants that have a nice bar area, where they serve interesting wine.

It also includes some places that do not impress me because of the wine, but because of other factors. Sardi’s – the icon in the Theater District – is an example. Or Günter Seeger NY, a Michelin starred restauraunt with a strong focus on German dry wines.

The racial and ethnic variety in the vast bar and loft-like dining room are virtually unrivaled in New York. The restaurant may not be the best to open in New York City last year. The scene is amazing: a pulsing, cheerful and virtually always-packed bar that gives way to a crowded and sleek dining room beyond it, decorated with the work of local artists. In the seats: Harlem itself, along with many visitors from downtown and afar, everyone playing a role in the restaurant’s grand vision.

Pictures: Red Rooster

Manhattan

Upper West Side

The Tangled Vine Wine Bar & Kitchen434 Amsterdam Ave.

This UWS wine bar was conceived with the inquisitive drinker in mind. Though the interior is generic, the wine—a mostly organic and biodynamic collection of Old World bottles—more than makes up for the setting. The eager sommelier-barkeeps steered us toward offbeat discoveries like a rare white Gravonia rioja that was rich, raisiny and as viscous as sherry. There are also bargain gems like a crisp green-apple Chiorri Grechetto. Snacks from former Mercat chef David Seigal round out the experience.

Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway

Bar Boulud is Daniel Boulud’s wine bar and bistro located across from Manhattan’s Lincoln Center. Daniel Boulud is a star and plays almost in the same league as Alain Ducasse. He is a chef, owns now a little restaurant imperium across the globe and just got his third star Michelin. In contrast to Alain Ducasse, however, he is not at all established in his home country, France.

In the Theater district. A famous restaurant for pre-show and after show dinners. Has also two bars, one next to the entrance and one on the first floor where Sardi’s serves decent wine. Nothing special.

Wine store plus small wine bar (a 14-seat curved black granite bar make for a cozy atmosphere) plus large sidewalk area. More than two thousand bottles are available from their extensive list, with fifty wines by the glass.

Picture: Morrell Wine Bar and Café

Aldo Sohm Wine Bar
155 W 51 Street

Branch-offs can often snap under pressure, but Le Bernardin has sprung a stem as strong as its base. Sitting across the galleria from that vaulted seafood restaurant, Aldo Sohm’s annexed vino hub is far less buttoned-up than its big brother—no reservations or suit jackets required—but the level of detail here proves this apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Picture: Sommelier Aldo Sohm and Christian Schiller at the 2015 Rieslingfeier in New York City, USA. See also: A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Midtown West

Clinton - Hell’s Kitchen

Ardesia
510 W 52nd St

Le Bernardin vet Mandy Oser’s iron-and-marble gem offers superior wines in a relaxed setting. The 75-strong collection of international bottles is a smart balance of Old and New World options that pair beautifully with an eclectic selection of small plates. Ardesia is a casual food and wine bar located in Hell's Kitchen in New York City inspired by the neighborhood's historic past and vibrant present.

Midtown East

Grand Central Station Oyster Bar
89 E. 42nd St. at Vanderbilt Ave.

This is the best place in town for New England Chowder and of course oysters, in a beautiful space under the world’s most famous station. The wine list is also impressive.

Picture: Grand Central Station Oyster Bar

Murray Hill

Vanguard Wine Bar
530 2nd Avenue, between 29th and 30th

Vanguard is that ever-sought-after idyllic wine bar that balances good drinks with approachable, contemporary small plates. The American food has French influences, which goes nicely with the cozy, wooden tables and low lighting. The wine list speaks directly to casual drinkers; it's broken up by color, body, and taste. - For dessert, the Champagne float, served in a coupe glass, has just enough Champagne to keep your buzz going, with a sweet scoop of vanilla ice cream thrown in for good measure. Lettie Teague praises Vanguard Wine Bar. Open until 2 am.

Chelsea

Rouge Tomate Chelsea
126 W 18th St

The Michelin-starred, health-focused restaurant closed in 2014 after six years on the Upper East Side to relocate downtown. Two months after closing, Chef Andy Bennet and Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier (both partners now) signed a lease at 126 West 18th Street, home to a roofing company at the time.

Rouge Tomate 2.0 is less formal than the original, and feels a little more like a wine bar. Lepeltier and her team of sommeliers have curated a wine list that boasts over 1,600 bottles, with a strong focus on domestic varietals.

The Lobster Place
75 9th Avenue, between 15th and 16th

Not a wine bar. One of the best, if not the best, resource(s) for fresh seafood in New York, in the Chelsea Market. Last time we were there, we had Sushi.

Pictures: Sushi at The Lobster Place

Veloce
176 7th Avenue between 20th and 21st Street

One of New York’s best known Italian wine bars. The Seventh Avenue digs of this congenial Italian wine bar are roomier than its East Village original, but the prices remain unchanged: Most small plates cost less than $8. Only one bartender caters to the after-work, wine-swigging crowd. Has two other locations in New York plus one in Beijing.

Trestle on Tenth
242 10th Avenue (West 24th Street)

A neighborhood favorite and a citywide destination that focuses on small growers, winemakers and vintners from around the world who have a hands-on relationship with the natural wines they produce. An AAWE Rheinhessen Riesling Tasting with Stuart Pigott in 2012 took place here.

Gramercy

Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th Street

Gramercy Tavern has one of the best wine lists in town, including a large list of wines by the glass. The selection of Riesling speaks for itself: Perhaps 20 Riesling wines - mostly from the Mosel Valley, with 3 dry wines.

Eataly
200 5th Avenue

A huge Italian food and wine marketplace in the Flatiron District. into New York City’s premier culinary mecca. Eataly offers 7 sit down restaurants with both table and bar seats. Each restaurant is positioned next to the market area that provides its ingredients.

Picture: Light Lunch at Eataly

Meatpacking District

West Village

Günter Seeger NY
641 Hudson St

In the movie Pretty Woman, Richard Gere says to Julia Roberts: Opera - you either hate it or you love it. The same applies to Günter Seeger NY: You either love it or you hate it. We love it!! This may be partly due to our German soul. All three of us have spend several decades in the US, but were borne and grew up in Germany.

Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner is the king of a little Austrian empire in New York City, comprising 5 very special restaurants and wine bars. One of them is the Upholstery Store: Food and Wine, which used to be an intimate wine bar serving a variety of wines by the glass and by the bottle and offering a selection of charcuterie and cheeses.

After a year-long shutter and makeover, the Upholstery Store (henceforth to be known officially as the Upholstery Store: Food and Wine) reopened recently. The newly revamped wine bar from the Wallse team is airier than its predecessor, and while it still looks like Austria, this is today's Austria, not grandma's. There's a large bar, small tables and a sofa by the window, and larger seating options as guests move back into the space. The design is simple and clean with exposed brick and lots of blue throughout. Michelin-starred chef Kurt Gutenbrunner's small plates menu hops around from oysters topped with passion fruit and seaweed to lobster rolls, and venison served with wild mushrooms and blackberries. To drink, there is a lengthy wine list from partner and sommelier Leo Schneemann.

Picture: The "Old" Upholstery Stor

Terroir at the Porch on the High Line
High Line at West 15th Street

From May through November, this alfresco café functions as the park’s only sit-down restaurant.

Greenwich Village

Charlie Bird
5 King St.

All bottles on list are available to be opened by the glass. You have to commit to two glasses and they will pop open any bottle.

Michelin: Of all the out-of-the-way restaurants that dot this stretch of SoHo, none are hipper than Charlie Bird. You'll be greeted by a blast of music upon entry, where a long bar leads to a brick-lined dining space with leather seats. From there, things just take off: along with a clever menu, upbeat service, and a thoughtful wine list brimming with Puglian reds and organic Catalonians, the kitchen delights long before Chef/co-owner Ryan Hardy's renowned pastas hit your plate. Think rigatoni with fennel-roasted suckling pig; or spaghetti alla carbonara formed into a ball and topped with buttery spring onions, smoked bacon, and a bright yellow duck egg. Baby sib Pasquale Jones offers similar modern-Italian cuisine with an emphasis on Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas.

Marco Canora (Hearth) refurbishes the old Terroir wine bar, bolstering its menu with an expanded list of by-the-glass vino (albarín blanco, sankt laurent) to complement small plates like pork ragù sloppy joes and broth bowls with gingered beef-neck and garlic-chicken meatballs. This is the initial Terroir, with 24 seats, just next to Heath Restaurant.

Picture: Christian Schiller and Som Doreen Winkler at Balthazar in New York City

Lower East Side

The Ten Bells
247 Broome St.

You’ll need a magnifying glass to navigate the chalk-drawn wine list at this dimly lit vino depot, oddly named for Jack the Ripper’s hunting grounds. Happily, knowledgeable servers are there to help, and the collection of global organic wines—16 glasses, most for less than $10, and 50 bottles—rewards your troubles. Snacks are basic but tasty—stick to cold plates like oysters and tartares. Closes at 2:00 am in the morning.

One part Paris, one part New York, Racines NY offers a unique and exciting blend of fine dining and bistro-a-vin that has instantly made its mark on the Manhattan culinary scene. The exquisite cuisine of Michelin-starred Chef Frederic Duca reflects his origins in Marseille and his classical training while offering inventive creations based on the finest farm-sourced American and European ingredients. The fascinating wine-list of owner-sommelier Arnaud Tronche focuses on small estates practicing organic and biodynamic farming and natural vinifications, while highlighting lesser-known regions such as the Loire Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon and Corsica. Service at Racines NY is attentive and professional while maintaining a casual atmosphere, enhancing conversation and the dining experience.

The Restaurant may be enjoyed after-work or before dinner at the wide marble bar offering sophisticated small plates created by Chef Duca while sampling the creative and extensive list of wines by-the-glass offered by Mr. Tronche. House cocktails and craft beers are available as well. The dining room opens at 6pm with an a la carte menu and a tasting menu, both changing frequently.

While it is often referred to as an oyster and absinthe bar, this charming Williamsburg establishment is so much more. With more than a subtle nod to the French heritage of New Orleans in the décor, drinks and food, Maison Premiere is hopelessly romantic. With dollar oyster specials, it can also be hopelessly packed. Although it opened in 2011, Maison Premiere feels more like a 19th-century Parisian bistro. The marble-topped horseshoe bar offers plenty of standing room and that quickly fills up. Oysters and other food can be ordered at the bar or at the tables in the back. But the seats in the window are strictly for drinks. A wood and classic New York safety glass back bar separate the bar area from the tables and the oyster shuckers. On nice days, the garden seating under a wisteria arbour surrounded by large ferns is a sought-after oasis.

Pictures: At Maison Premiere

Brooklyn

Roberta’s Pizza
261 Moore St Brooklyn,NY
Subway: L line, Morgan Ave

A mix between a pizzeria, an organic farm, a creative kitchen, a craft beer garden and a serious Italian oenoteca. This fascinating place is located in Bushwick, an up and coming neighborhood in Brooklyn that is a bit further away than Williamsburg coming from Manhattan, but nevertheless quickly reachable with the L line. Artist and students are settling down here and their craving for good food is only satisfied by a few places. One of those is Roberta's.

Pictures: At Roberta's Pizza

June
231 Court Street

Dive deep into the all-natural trend at this sulfite-free–champing Cobble Hill bar, a joint effort from Henry Rich (Rucola, Fitzcarraldo) and Tom Kearney (Farm on Adderley). The romantic, railroad-style room rouses ’20s-era Midnight in Paris vibes, with curved oxblood banquettes, globe light fixtures and a marble-top bar canopied with hanging stemmed glasses, so it’s no surprise that the wine list operates largely in the Gallic canon, with European vintages offered by glass, quartino, bottle or “big bottle” (that would be one-and-a-half liters).

Schiller’s Favorite Jazz Clubs

Village Vanguard
178 7th Avenue
A top club. No food.

Blue Note
Aged megastars.
131 West Third Street

Birdland
315 West 44th Street
A top club. Used to be in 104th Street and moved to Times Square.

Arthur’s Tavern
57 Grove Street
No entry fee. One of the oldest Jazz Clubs in New York (since 1937)

Wine Tours

About Me

I live in the greater Washington DC (US) and Frankfurt am Main (Germany) areas and write about wine. I am a member of the FIJEV (International Federation of Wine and Spirits Journalists and Writers). Before starting to write about wine in 2009, I was for almost 30 years an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). I am currently in Washington DC.